At a minimum you add 'Tow Package' so you have four pin and seven pin connections, and a draw bar receiver, otherwise you've only got a hole in the bumper to mount a single ball, and no way to connect lights.

A boat and/or trailer that max out under 3000lbs won't present enough air resistance to cause overheating issues for any of the engines. Unless you're talking about an unladen trailer, in which case that could be an enclosed 8x20, which could be a bit much for any of the non-boost engines due to lack of cooling capacity, and depending upon how fast one likes to go.

 

Thanks for all your replies. There are 2 tow packages: And why would a tranny cooler be only included on a V6??? Is there a feature in the truck to knock down the gears to 6 speed when towing? I thought I read that somewhere.

Trailer Tow Package includes:

• 4-pin/7-pin wiring harness
• Auxiliary transmission oil cooler (Included on 3.3L V6 PFDI engine (99B) and Raptor only)
• Engine Oil Cooler (Not included on 3.3L V6 PFDI engine (99B)
• Class IV trailer hitch receiver
• Pro Trailer Backup Assist (47E) (Not included on XL base)
• Tailgate LED (standard on Lariat and higher)
• Smart Trailer Tow Connector (standard on Lariat and higher)
• Upgraded front stabilizer bar

Max Trailer Tow Package includes:

• 3.55 Electronic-locking rear-axle (axle is changed to 3.73 Electronic-locking differential if
ordered with Heavy-Duty Payload Pkg. (627))
• 4-pin/7-pin wiring harness
• 36 Gallon Fuel tank
• Engine Oil Cooler (Not included on 3.3L V6 PFDI engine (99B)
• Class IV trailer hitch receiver
• Pro Trailer Backup Assist (47E) with Tailgate LED (Not included on XL Base)
• Smart Trailer Tow Connector (standard on Lariat and higher)
• Integrated Trailer Brake Controller
• Upgraded front stabilizer bar
• Upgraded rear bumper

 

Why do you keep referencing the 6sp transmission? The 10 speed is superior in every way.
Even towing my 30' TT, I can get in 7th and 8th gears in wind, with 35" tires and 3.31 gears.

 

So you know, the Max Tow package does not increase tow capacity, it improves durability (HD receiver), distance (36 gal tank), and acceleration (3.55 diff). You can option all of those with the Tow Package, including the missing Integrated Trailer Brake Controller, but depending upon how many of those you want, the Max Tow can be the cheaper route. Personally, the 36 gal tank and ITBC are a must for towing and also driving any significant distance. While 3.31 gears are fine, even for towing, there's not a good reason to not get 3.55's as the speed range where you would see a significant mpg improvement is too high.

The tow package gives you a button that permits locking out as many gears as you like.

The V8 does not include a tranny cooler because that engine is not designed for towing... you want lots of torque down low, as close to right off throttle as possible to get a load rolling, and you want that torque on the highway at a low rpm for longevity of the engine. The Coyote was originally built for the Mustang, and makes power up high for good track performance. No point in designing a cooling package for a motor that's not a good fit for heavy towing when you've already spent the money for your heavy towing motor (3.5) and it's lighter duty brother (2.7). Hell, It's amazing we have so many options as it is. The V8 is fine for lighter towing needs, but it's not a good fit for heavy towing, and as such doesn't warrant heavy towing add-ons.

 

He didn't mention the 6-sp, he was asking about locking out top gears.

 

His very first post " I wish the V8 would come with a 6 speed tranny."
and then that mentioning of just using 6 speeds.

 

I understand that the eco boost V6 has more HP and Torque I tell you what I have two guys I work with and both has had issues with their motors after 2 1/2 years old. I now these are awesome motors. But in my eyes more moving parts more problems. I'm not a fan for turbos I still believe an 8 would outlast a 6. The 8 just doesn't work as hard. Why are the F250's have 8's and no 6. Yes more HP than the 150's 8. What happen to the olden days 8's was the way to go for towing.
As far as for 10 speed tranny I hear lots of good things but i also heard negative. Constantly shifting more than it should. And for towing thats why a 6 speed is more preferable Standard on a f250 optional 10 of course with Selectable Drive Modes.

I'm just towing 2700lbs hell if a V8 can't handle that then I have a big problem. I just want the right towing package but no option tranny cooler does bother me. Hell my 2004 ford sport Trac V6 245hp has one . It just sucks on hills.

 

The old 6-speed doesn’t have the same cooling setup the 10-speed does, which I believe includes a warmer to get fluid temps up, which makes a cooler pointless. Hence, an auxiliary cooler for the 6-speed.

The trans in that Sport Trac was a pile of junk. It definitely needed all the help it could get to stay together.

 

1) there are fewer moving parts in the ecoboost. 24 valve v6 versus 32v v8, and two turbos (two turbines on one shaft x2) on the ecoboost, but then 2 more pistons/rods on the V8. So, more valves, more pistons/rods..there are actually FEWER moving parts on the ecoboost. So, that argument is null.
2) The ecoboost doesn't work as hard as the coyote. It makes more torque everywhere in the powerband, so it can haul and tow at lower rpm generating more torque than the coyote. Coyote's a great motor, but it'll rev a bit more when towing than the ecoboost.
3) Not a fan of turbos? OK. It's not like big diesel trucks haven't been running them for decades or anything. Or in cars overseas. Or aircraft for that matter! Do your oil changes properly and the turbos will serve you well for longer than you care to own the truck.

It's OK to just admit you're an old school v8 guy....but making up excuses for why you don't like the ecoboost is bunk. The sheer number of ecoboosts on the road that are trouble-free is staggering Hundreds of thousands. 50k miles on my 2017, and I drive and beat the **** out of it. Had a 4,000lb boat and we have a 30ft TT we tow with it. Haul kayaks around, drive trails, soft sand beaches, trips to the hardware store, 2000lbs of pavers.

Again, you're stuck on the 6 speed without knowing anything about the 10 speed. So...it shifts more? what does that matter? More gears means it can keep the engine in the sweet spot of the powerband more easily, making more efficient use of the motor and power generated. My 10sp shifts so smoothly you wouldn't know it shifted were it not for my exhaust setup. Get in the 10 speed and put some miles on it. You'll understand.

 

The Duretec line of motors that the 3.5L was gleaned from have been in production since 1994, and was engineered in conjunction with Porsche. To date, Ford has produced 13 ecoboost variants. The 3.5L eco has been in production for a full decade. The 1st gen was installed in nine different vehicles: Transit, Flex, MKS, MKT, Taurus, Explorer, Expedition, Navigator, and of course, the F150. While Ford doesn't provide numbers by engines, their stated production intentions for the 3.5 eco was 700,000+ in US sales, and 1 million+ in global sales, yearly. I'd say we're closer to 10's of MILLIONS of 3.5 ecos on the road than 100's of thousands.

To say a V8 does not work as hard as a V6 ignores physics and engine design. Engines are designed to handle the work load that is intended for them. Take a V6 and a V8 that both produce the same power, you'll find the V6 pistons, rods, crank and block will be more stout than the V8. You can't equate the number of an engine's cylinders to it's ability to do work or it's longevity.

Why do they still use V8's in the bigger trucks? The answer is... why not?

Mfg's are moving to turbo V6's over V8's to meet CAFE requirements. The V6's have less rotational mass and less cylinder areas, which means less friction, ergo better mileage. Guess what.. we'll see an I-4 in the bigger vehicles eventually.

So, why not the big trucks? Because they don't produce enough of 250 and up to significantly impact their CAFE rating, and some chassis are completely exempt from CAFE. Since CAFE isn't on the table with the larger trucks, you don't spend a ****-ton of money to design a large ecoboost block (4.3L would be a 7.3L equivalent, for example), when you can work off the V8 tech you already have in place that has been successful. They've tied up a lot of engineering dollars in expanding the ecoboost lineup. Don't spend money where it's not required.